EVERETT, Wash. – The Snohomish County Jail has launched a pilot program for medication-assisted detox for those inmates with heroin or other opioid addictions.

The medical unit in the jail recently had two Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNPs) and one physician trained in Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). This training offered by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) allows for each provider to be eligible for a prescription waiver for medical withdrawal management for up to 30 patients at a time.